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Writer's pictureRaúl Villaseñor Gómez

ARTIST DIARY. 10th + 1 DIPLOMA IN VISUAL ARTS PRODUCTION AT CASA SAN AGUSTÍN. MODULE 5



The fifth and last module was carried out from December 8 to 10. It was in charge of the artists Laureana Toledo and Luis Felipe Ortega, coordinators of the diploma course.


In this module we tried to conclude the processes of each one, give comments and final reflections about our work, we also saw where and how we were going to place our pieces.


Before we had the module in person, we had a couple of online meetings where we went over our processes and how we were doing on our progress on our projects.



Where is the art?

In those meetings and as part of the criticism received, my project asked me what I could say about my work that no one else could. In this sense, the artist appeals to a particular way of seeing the world, of reflecting on it. This, although it sounds simple, is complex to achieve, it requires a long path and commitment to find it; in a certain way it is something that only experience gives it. As I see it, that is the style, a particular way of seeing things and representing them.


Production, the artist's work, is actually a complex task that requires effort; although it is not always valued as such, it is.



Space and dialogue.

The face-to-face meetings we had at Casa San Agustín were a final review of the pieces and some comments regarding the solutions we had used. In my case, some elements of my piece were questioned, especially those that made it redundant. Thanks to the feedback, it was possible for me to come up with a more congruent solution with what I wanted to say and with the type of work I produce.


My intention was to point out how actions in space -in this case, the public space- are a reflection of a perceived or certain reality about it and how these actions end up modifying it, for better or for worse.

For this, I used the phenomenon of placing metal cages on the water and/or electricity meters of houses in the city of Oaxaca as a response to insecurity, in an attempt to preserve heritage. I tried to point out a vicious circle of how the lack of security produces a series of actions that result in a lack of freedom in order to protect what one has. We lock ourselves in to protect ourselves because no one does.



The end

The last days we dedicated to the assembly of the pieces and to elaborate a final text among the remaining participants of the diploma. Although we were together for six months and witnessed each other's processes, as well as giving each other feedback, we didn't have any exercises that involved the whole group in producing something concrete, so this was quite an interesting opportunity. In the end, we prepared a collective room text where we tried to capture the spirit of the experience from our different perspectives.


***

I still do not have so clear reflections on the importance of this diploma for me, but I do have some conclusions. The first is the loyalty that I owe to my work, beyond any visible fashion or theme at a given moment, our way of seeing and representing the world is not shared by anyone; the second is the importance of sharing what we do, art is a profession that can be very lonely and that makes us lose ourselves in things to the detriment of the work, sharing our process and progress with colleagues is more than positive , seeing ourselves in others is vital; and third, many times we forget, but it is the work and not something else that makes the works work, regardless of the type of art we make, if we do not dedicate the time and effort, there will not be satisfactory results. Very good works can arise from chance, but they will be just that, coincidences; we must be aware of what our creative process is like.


Photo credit: Casa San Agustín.

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